Andrelton Simmons

The power Simmons flashed earlier in his career looks more and more like a mirage every year. Simmons hit just four home runs in 2015 and posted a slugging percentage under .340 for the second straigh...

Simmons appeared on the verge of superstardom entering 2014, having won a Gold Glove while hitting 17 homers in his first full major league season, but it became evident throughout the course of the year that his bat is still a long way behind his glove. Despite a 16-point increase in BABIP, Simmons' average dropped by four points, and his ISO fell by more than 60, to an abysmal .087. His walk rate fell to 5.6%, resulting in a 10-point drop in OBP (.286), putting him in the bottom four in OBP among qualified hitters in the NL. Simmons grounded into a whopping 25 double plays -- only plodders Casey McGehee and Albert Pujols grounded into more -- and hit just .209/.246/.279 in the second half. Thus, it will be hard to trust Simmons in shallower mixed formats. On the plus side, he is just 25, doesn't strike out much (10.4% K%) and his unparalleled defensive skills should keep him on the field close to every day. Further, his HR/FB rate of 4.7% from 2014 figures to return closer to the mean, providing some hope that he can once again supply double-digit homers from the shortstop position.

2014

While establishing himself as an elite defensive shortstop in 2013, Simmons also disappointed somewhat at the dish, at least in real life. He posted just a .282 OBP and a .105 ISO over the first half of the season, and eventually lost his job as leadoff man for the Braves. The move down the batting order predictably helped his power numbers, as Simmons went on to post a .472 slugging percentage after the All-Star break, but he still finished the year with an OBP below .300. Fantasy owners didn't have quite as much to complain about, as Simmons smacked 17 homers and scored 76 runs, fourth-most among all shortstops. However, looking ahead to 2014, Simmons figures to see fewer scoring chances while near the bottom of the order, but his .247 BABIP seems likely to rise.

2013

Simmons spent precious little time in Double-A, playing just 44 games there and hitting .293/.372/.420 in 2012. After Tyler Pastornicky struggled as the Braves' starting shortstop at the beginning of the season, Atlanta called up Simmons and immediately inserted him in the lineup. For a 22-year-old shortstop who spent so little time in the upper levels of the minors, Simmons did very well. He hit .289 with right around a league average OPS. His defense is MLB-caliber already, though not as good as Pastornicky's. Simmons will be the kind of shortstop that hits for a good average and can maybe hit double-digit home runs in the future, but his power will never be prodigious. He has some speed and can contribute in the stolen bases department.

2012

Simmons had a breakout season at High-A Lynchburg by hitting .311/.351/.408 with 26 stolen bases and may be Atlanta's shortstop of the future. While he doesn't draw a lot of walks, he makes great contact with few strikeouts (29:43 BB:K ratio in 517 at-bats). His biggest asset is probably his glove, where he's seen as a premium defender. He'll need to hit for more power to be a star at higher levels, and has Tyler Pastornicky perhaps blocking his path to the majors, but he's a rising prospect to watch in 2012.